dents might imagine this concept to be useful
in the real-world, in both correct and incorrect
ways. Through this process, several ideas about
imagination and its relationship to teaching and
learning become apparent. First, our students
learn the difference between imagination and
creativity—that the former is unbounded, with
no wrong answers, and is a critical component to
the latter. Equally important, they learn that disciplinary
creativity is bounded, and that creative
solutions must be effective. Second, our students
see how applied examples in the classroom can
stunt imagination. That is, if their students are
merely given applied examples, they do not get
to practice imagining how concepts are applied
in the real world. Finally, they begin to appreciate
the complexity of mediating imaginative
work in their classrooms, given that they need
to foster an open environment that respects “incorrect”
imagining, while also guiding students
toward a better understanding of concepts